France's Hollande says Assad cannot be ally in fight against Islamic State

French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday that opposition forces fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq should have the support of the West, adding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could not be an ally to fight jihadists. "There is no choice to be made between two barbarisms." In a text provided ahead of Hollande's speech to an annual conference of French ambassadors, the president also added: "To fight Islamic State, the international community must also arm opposition forces who are fighting it." Hollande said France would increase its support to Iraqi groups and reiterated calls for an international conference to help coordinate international action against Islamic State. Read More http://ift.tt/1mVOkre